a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground: But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark; for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark."

Knight of the Red Cross.

-After having, as we had supposed, satisfactorily shown that the order of Knights Hospitalers of the order of St. John of Jerusalem, who were afterwards called Knights of Rhodes, and now Knights Templars, and Knights of Malta, is indisputably the oldest order of Knighthood in the world: we are suddenly transported into the distant regions of Persia, and instructed to believe that the order of the Cross was instituted 520 years before the birth of Christ, namely, during the reign of Darius. We must leave our readers to reconcile these seeming contradictions.

This order has not, until of late years, been practised in America. I have indeed conversed with well in formed Knights, who received the Degree in Ireland; perhaps it may have originated there-be that as it may, it has found its way into our books, and is practised, though very imperfectly in some of our Encampments, usually preceding the degrees of Knights Templars, and Knights of Malta. A reference to the aforegoing list, will show us that the author has given us two other Degrees, which are intended to precede the two last mentioned, namely, Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, and Knights of the Christian Mark, nor shall we have cause to wonder, if in process of time an attempt should be made to precede the important Degree of Knights Templar, &c. with that of Knight of the Golden Spur, Knight of the white Elephant, or of the Golden Fleece.

The following passages of scripture are considered by knights of this order as applicable to their institution, and are occasionally rehearsed in their councils.

Ezra 111. 8-11. "Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second mouth, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, "See remarks on the Order of Knighthood, page 279.

from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord. Then stood Jeshua, with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workman in the house of God; the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with symbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course, in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid."

Ezra IV. "Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the Lord God of Israel, then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him, since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither. But Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel, said unto them, ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, hath commanded us. Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building; and hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his. reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhab. itants of Judab and Jerusalem. And in the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredat, Tabeel, and the rest of their companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue; Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, in this sort: This is the copy of the letter that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants, the men on this side the river, and at such a time. Be it known unto the king, that the Jews, which came up from thee to us, are come unto Jerusalem, building the rebellious and the bad city, and have set up the

walls thereof, and joined the foundations. Be it known now unto the king, that if this city be builded, and the walls set up again, then will they not pay toll, tribute and custom, and so thou shalt endamage the revenue of the kings. Now, because we have maintenance from the king's palace, and it was not meet for us to see the king's dishonour; therefore have we sent and certified the king, that search may be made in the book of the records of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know, that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time: for which cause was this city destroyed. We certify the king, that if this city be builded again, and the walls thereof set up, by this means, thou shalt have no portion on this side the river. Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the river, Peace, and at such a time. The letter which ye sent unto us hath been plainly read before me. And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute and custom was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me. Take heed now that ye fail not to do this: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? Now, when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power. Then ceased the work of the house of God, which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius, king of Persia."

Josephus informs us, that Darius, while he was a private man, made a vow to God, that if ever he came to the throne, he would send all the holy vessels that were at Babylon, back again to Jerusalem; and it happened about the time of his accession, that Zerubbabel,* who was a cap

In the index to Basket's edition of the Bible, published, London, 1722, which is generally considered more free from errors than any other in the English language, I find that in the second year of the reign of king Darius Hystaspes (the same with Ahasuerus) Zerubbabel and Jeshua, incited by the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, set forward the building of the temple: this

tain or prince of the Jewish captives, came from Jerusalem to Darius, as well to solicit his protection against their adversaries on the other side of the river, as to watch a suitable opportunity of endeavouring to persuade the king to fulfil his promise. He had long been known to Darius as a man of great judgment and understanding, and was there fore taken into the king's confidence, and put into a particular trust, with two other great officers, as his constant attendants.

Darius, in the first year of his reign, gave a splendid and magnificent entertainment to the princes and nobility, and after they had retired, finding himself unable to sleep, he fell into discourse with his three favourite officers, to whom he proposed certain questions, telling them, at the same time, that he, who should give him the most reasonable and satisfactory answer, should be clothed in purple, drink in a golden cup, wear a silken tiara, and a golden chain about his neck.

He then proposed this question: Which is greatest, the strength of wine. of the king, of women, or of truth? To this the first answered, wine is the strongest; the second, that the king was strongest; and the third (who was Zerubbabel) that woman were stronger, but above all things TRUTH beareth the victory.

On the following day the king assembled together the princes and nobility, to hear the question debated; and having placed himself upon the royal seat of judgment, he called upon them to make a public defence of their several opinions; whereupon the first began upon the strength of wine, as follows:

"O ye princes and rulers, how exceeding strong is wine! it causeth all men to err that drink it: it maketh the mind of the king and the beggar to be all one; of the bondman and the freeman; of the poor man and of the rich; it turneth also every thought into jollity and mirth, so that a man remembereth neither sorrow nor debt; it changeth and elevateth the spirits, and enliveneth the heavy hearts of the miserable. It maketh a man forget his brethren, and draw his sword against his best friends. O ye princes and

was 520 years before the birth of Christ: in the same year Haggai prophe sieth that the glory of this second temple shall be greater than that of the former; not as being a more magnificent structure, but in regard the blessed Messiah shall one day honour it with his presence, and from thence propagate peace to all nations. The same authority informs us that the temple was finished and dedicated with joy, in the sixth year of the same reign, which was 515 years before the Christian era, Compiler.

rulers, is not wine the strongest, that forceth us to do these things?"

Then began the second upon the power of kings, and spoke as follows: "It is beyond dispute, O princes and rul ers, that God has made man master of all things under the sun; to command them, to make use of them, and apply them to his service as he pleases: but whereas men have only dominion over other sublunary creatures, kings have an authority even over men themselves, and a right of ruling them by will and pleasure. Now, he that is master of those who are masters of all things else, hath no earthly thing above him.”

Then began Zerubbabel upon the power of woman and of truth, and spoke as follows: "O princes and rulers, the force of wine is not to be denied; neither is that of kings, that unites so many men in one common bond of allegiance; but the supereminency of woman is yet above all this; for kings are but the gifts of women, and they are also the mothers of those that cultivate our vineyards. Women have the power to make us abandon our very country and relations, and many times to forget the best friends we have in the world, and forsaking all other comforts, to live and die with them. But when all is said, neither they, nor wine, nor kings, are comparable to the almighty force of truth. As for all other things, they are mortal and transient, but truth alone is unchangeable and everlasting; the benefits we receive from it are subject to no variations or vicissitudes of time and fortune. In her judgment is no unrighteousness, and she is the strength, wisdom, power, and majesty, of all ages.-Blessed be the God of truth."*

When Zerubbabel had finished speaking, the princes and rulers cried out, "Great is truth, and mighty above all things."

Then said the king to Zerubbabel, "Ask what thou wilt and I will give it thee, because thou art found wisest among thy companions."

Then said he to Darius, "O king, remember thy vow, which thou hast vowed, to build Jerusalem in the day when thon shouldst come to thy kingdom, and to restore the holy vessels which were taken away out of Jerusalem. Thou

The same story is recorded in the 3d and 4th chapters of the first book of Esdras, which although apocryphal, is entitled to as much respect proba. bly, as the writings of Josephus; the story is there told in rather different and I think more interesting language.

Compiler.